http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/07/22/a-tainted-jalapeno-offers-a-clue-to-the-salmonella-outbreak/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day\'s most compelling topics. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:30:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/07/22/a-tainted-jalapeno-offers-a-clue-to-the-salmonella-outbreak/#comment-1936 concerned consumer Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:48:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/07/22/a-tainted-jalapeno-offers-a-clue-to-the-salmonella-outbreak/#comment-1936 Not wanting to be crass, but this IS the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Has anyone considered the possibility that these problems (salmonella, e. coli) could be stemming from farm workers defecating in the fields, due to the pressures of meeting production schedules?? I'm sure someone who is making pennies per hour/pound is not wasting time leaving the field to go to the bathroom and thoroughly wash up. That's if facilities to do so are even available. The constant 'threat' to ensure food safety is that the prices will go through the roof...yet prices are already sky high and the workers are still make less than a living wage, and the food is not any safer. The only ones making the money are at the top of the food chain (no pun intended). Not wanting to be crass, but this IS the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Has anyone considered the possibility that these problems (salmonella, e. coli) could be stemming from farm workers defecating in the fields, due to the pressures of meeting production schedules?? I’m sure someone who is making pennies per hour/pound is not wasting time leaving the field to go to the bathroom and thoroughly wash up. That’s if facilities to do so are even available. The constant ‘threat’ to ensure food safety is that the prices will go through the roof…yet prices are already sky high and the workers are still make less than a living wage, and the food is not any safer. The only ones making the money are at the top of the food chain (no pun intended).

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